This is the first complete collection of Carl Nielsen's masterly chamber works available on CD. With his spontaneous and imaginative works music, the Danish national composer presents himself as the renewer of the classical tradition. Here all the string quartets, violin sonatas and wind works appear in new, definitive recordings by top young Danish musicians. The piano works are played in unique fashion by Herman D. Koppel, who as a young man rehearsed them all with the composer himself. The impassioned, insightful performances shed light on fascinating repertory. (New York Times)

Reviews

Masterful chamber works

Nielsen isn’t one of those composers who is going to dazzle you away with a radical approach to form, yet he remains Denmark’s most highly regarded 20th century composer for good reason. His style was originally grounded in neo-classical tonality, but gradually evolved into more progressive, if subtle, forms. The essential quality of his music can be hard to pin down, but suffice to say that it combines tradition and modernity in a unique synthesis, one marked by a consistent emotional pull. Known more for his symphonic output, Nielsen’s chamber works are equally accomplished and appealing, and this 6-disc set of his chamber and instrumental music is a worthy and wonderful follow-up to the box set of Nielsen symphonies that Dacapo released in 2011. The works collected here, including his four string quartets, his celebrated wind quintet, sonatas, trios and solo piano pieces, is characterized by Nielsen’s singular narrative logic: the music often unfolds in unexpected melodic and rhythmic directions, yet maintains a remarkable interior cohesion. Nielsen is also interesting for his ability to synthesize many different styles and eras into his overall conception, predating (and perhaps inspiring) the likes of late-20th century composers like Alfred Schnittke. This collection draws from performances by the Danish String Quartet, Trio Ondine and DiamantEnsemblet, as well as pianists Herman Koppel and Jens Elvekjaer and violinists Jon Gjesme and Tue Lautrup. Their interpretations are precise, supple, thematically insightful and emotionally luminous. This is, quite simply, some of the most beautiful and affecting music written in the early part of the 20th century. Very highly recommended.
Submitted on 08/11/12 by Dean Brierly